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It was Marinette's birthday, and Alya, Nino, and Adrien were going to surprise her by bringing her to Adrien's room where he'd play her favorite song on the piano. It had taken weeks to get his father to agree to it, especially because of how much he disliked Nino, but somehow, some way, he'd agreed.
"As long as it's only those three," he'd said. "I will remain in my office, I'm going to be very busy. If you need anything, contact Nathalie."
Adrien scoffed as he thought of the last comment. Perhaps his father forgot that after living under the same roof for seventeen years Adrien would know what to do. Sitting at the piano, he got ready for the signal. Alya would bring Marinette in, but Nino would signal for him to start as they came up the last few steps on the stairs.
Nino whistled, and Adrien's fingers started to glide across the keys. He heard Marinette gasp, and glanced up to find her staring at him in awe, her face flushed. He smiled as he played another chord; he didn't even really need to look at the keys. It was a lucky coincidence that his favorite Jagged Stone song was also Marinette's.
His heart swelled with an emotion he wasn't sure how to describe. It wasn't like what he felt for Ladybug, but it was strong, and something about it was new. As he watched Marinette, smiling as she hugged Alya and Nino, he couldn't help but think about the amazing person she was.
Always standing up for what's right, even if it's hard, always there to help a friend in need, and always trying to fix a problem. She was the most hard-working person he'd ever met, but she was also the kindest. She had helped him be able to go to New York a few years prior, had helped him when he'd tried to pursue Kagami, had given him her lucky charm bracelet, and had forgiven him the day in the rain. She'd listened to him and given him a second chance, deciding to forgive and move on.
His heart pounded loudly in his chest, the emotion still there. But what was it? He stared at Marinette, swaying to the music he played. What was it that he felt?
Oh. Oh. It was adoration. It was love. It was a need to be close to her, to hold her, to protect her, and to keep her happy. That's what it was.
It was then that the others noticed the music stopped. It hadn't been the end of the song, but he needed to tell her. He strode over to her, the only things he could hear being the blood roaring in his ears and his thundering heartbeat. He held her hands in his tenderly, speaking from the heart as she stared up at him, a light flush dusting her cheeks.
"Marinette." Had he said her name too lovingly? Was he coming off too strong? "I should've realized this sooner, but I need to tell you… I'm in love with you."
Her eyes grew wide, a soft gasp escaping her, all while she flushed deeper. "Adrien…"
He kissed her then. Softly, just a light brush of lips against lips. He was going to pull back, realizing he should've asked first, but then she pulled him closer by the collar of his shirt, almost seeming impatient. Then he knew, he was going to be addicted to her kisses.
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Adrien and Marinette were sitting under the shade of a tree having a picnic a couple weeks later, with Adrien's head in Marinette's lap. It was their first official date, and Marinette had wanted to just keep it simple. So, Adrien suggested to stay in the Agreste Gardens, away from the media, and Marinette agreed that it would be wonderful.
It had been hard to get his father to agree, and he'd only called Marinette a friend so he wouldn't freak out. His father had raised an eyebrow, then told him that would be alright, again with the same, "I will remain in my office, I'm going to be very busy. If you need anything, contact Nathalie." It had been even harder to find a spot away from the view of the outdoor cameras, but Adrien had made it work.
Surrounded by various plants and flowers, with Marinette idly playing with his hair, Adrien thought he was in heaven. He was lucky Marinette didn't get upset that he'd called her a friend when speaking to his father. She'd said that she understood how he could be, and that they'd need to talk about the press and other matters if he had said she was his girlfriend, instead of having a nice, simple date. If he'd been transformed, he would've been purring.
Thinking of that brought him back to his earlier dilemma; how was he going to tell Marinette she was dating a Parisian superhero? How would she react? How would he first get Ladybug to agree to let him tell Marinette?
His thoughts were interrupted by a crash and some screams. He sat up, suddenly on alert and looked back at a wide-eyed Marinette. "We gotta get you out of here, take my hand." She did so with a nod, grabbing her small purse before they started running. She always took that purse with her everywhere, but why was that?
Probably a gift from a family member, a voice in the back of his mind that sounded awfully like Plagg told him. Yeah, that was probably it.
They turned a corner and slid into the house, then ran upstairs to his room. From there, he could get a better view of the akuma, then figure out the safest place to transform. The sun was setting, bright in his eyes, so it was a little hard to see, but though the akuma was far away, it was giant, with destruction all around it, so Adrien could see it. From the looks of it, Ladybug wasn't there yet, but his house would be safe for Marinette to stay in. He could say he forgot to get something, or maybe say he needed to take a shower.
In his jean pocket, Plagg nudged him. He glanced back only to find Marinette was gone. Where did she go? Why would she leave? Then he realized where destruction was, right by the bakery. She must've left to check in her parents.
Taking a steadying breath, he called out, "Plagg, claws out!"
Once transformed, he vaulted out of his room. He had to fight an akuma and make sure Marinette was safe.
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"I am Procrastinator! With a hit of my laser beam, you will lose all motivation to do anything and keep telling yourself you'll do it later. And we all know, that would be a lie," the akuma boomed. "Ladybug and Chat Noir, give me your miraculous!"
The akuma stood tall, about as tall as the Dupain-Cheng bakery, clad in silver armor, and silver leather, with a laser beam shooting device on her right arm. Apparently the woman was fired from her job for failing to complete a certain presentation on time, one that she'd had a week and a half to prepare. For that, she'd been called a procrastinator, and she wanted to inflict that upon everyone else. Chat could only guess that the badge clipped to the pocket of the akuma was the akumatized object.
Chat Noir crouched on a rooftop a block away from the akuma, and not too far from the Dupain-Cheng bakery. It looked as though the place was unharmed, and he could only hope that Marinette was in there with her parents. Beside him, Ladybug landed, yoyo in hand and ready to go. He must've looked worried because then she asked,
"What's up, Chat? Something bothering you?"
He glanced up at her with pursed lips, then looked back to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. "I… I'm worried about my friend. She disappeared on me, and I'm only hoping she isn't hurt somewhere." He stood up, tail swishing and flicking agitatedly.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ladybug nod slowly, "I'm sure she just wanted to check in family or something, and she's probably fine." She put a hand on his shoulder, making him look at her, "Don't worry, kitty."
He gave her a stiff nod, then vaulted away. He really hoped Ladybug was right.
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Ladybug was not right, but at least she had tried. In fact, the reason Ladybug wasn't right was because Ladybug was hurt, and Ladybug was Marinette.
Despite being called Procrastinator and being as tall as the Dupain-Cheng bakery, the akuma was fast. And, apparently, the laser beam shooting device on their right arm could turn into a very harmful laser sword. Unlike the laser beams, the laser sword didn't turn you into a procrastinator, but it could hurt you, a lot.
That was how when he'd tried to get the badge from her, she tried to slice him, which caused Ladybug (Marinette) to dive and shove him out of the way, getting grazed on her side. Blinking back tears, Chat Noir had picked her up and fled the scene to a safer spot in an alley a few blocks away. It was a dark spot, the city lights not quite reaching the area, providing for cover.
Now, he was crying.
His transformation had worn off a little before hers, but when hers wore off, the scream she let out from the pain hurt him more than a stab through the heart. She was sweating, wincing, and grimacing, but she still lifted a hand to gently brush the hair out of his eyes and try for a smile. Well, as much of a smile as she could manage in her state.
"Go, kitty," she said, her voice barely a whisper, "Save Paris for me…"
"Marinette," his voice cracked and broke as his soul had shattered when she'd taken the hit for him, "I can't leave you here."
Her eyes turned soft through the tears that gathered there, "Paris needs you… Take my...my miraculous."
How would he be able to fight, let alone save Paris, knowing she was hurt because of him? How was he going to be able to fight alone? Was that how she felt whenever he took the hit for her?
Plagg nudged his cheek lightly, purring a little to give him courage. But she was right, Paris needed to be saved, even if his world was right there in front of him, in pain. If he did this right, she would be ok too.
He gingerly took her earrings off and put them on his own ears, taking a deep breath to steady himself. After transforming, he placed a soft, slow kiss to Marinette's forehead, which was burning up, murmuring quietly,
"I love you."
She took his hand in hers and squeezed it as a way of saying she loved him too.
He then stood up, a fire burning in his soul. He was going to go kick some akuma butt.
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He didn't really remember much of the battle, it felt almost like some twisted, horrible dream. He was a whirlwind of rage, hurt, and guilt, and no one was going to get in his way. Especially not some stupid akuma.
Somehow, he'd been able to dodge all the laser beams shot at him and the laser sword that tried to slice at him. He'd been able to grab the badge clipped to the silver leather of the akuma's pocket, then he'd crushed it with the large, bright flashlight he'd gotten as a lucky charm that he'd used to blind the akumatized victim.
Once the butterfly was de-evilized and the lucky charm was thrown into the air, Adrien had sprinted back to the alleyway to check in Marinette's condition. Kneeling beside her in that moment, his heart felt like it was being squeezed, stabbed, and ripped out of his chest all at once. One thought was in his mind.
Why isn't she moving?
Why isn't she moving?
Why isn't she moving?
His transformation wore off.
Why isn't she moving?
He nudged her side.
Why isn't she moving?
He shook her by the shoulders.
Why isn't she moving?
He screamed her name frantically.
Why isn't she moving?
That couldn't have been it. That couldn't have been the end. There was no way. Why didn't the miraculous cure work? Why did she look so pale? Was it just the moonlight? Why did she feel so cold?
Why isn't she moving?
"Adrien," Tikki spoke gently, clearly trying to get his attention away from Marinette.
After a few moments, he wrenched his gaze away from the cold body of his love. He spoke quietly, his voice raw and hoarse, "What is it Tikki?"
She finished the rest of the cookie she had gotten from Marinette's purse before speaking again. (Oh, so that's why she always carried around that purse.) "Plagg and I, we can call upon a kwami to help heal Marinette. I'm sure you are wondering why she isn't healing properly, and it may be because she detransformed after getting injured by an akuma. You have never done that, so you were always ok after the miraculous cure. But that is not the case with Marinette."
"What kwami is it?"
"The Caladrius kwami. Like the Caladrius from Roman mythology, she can heal Marinette. It will take a lot of energy, and it might not work, but I am willing to give it a try. Plagg?"
Surprisingly enough, Plagg did not complain or groan, instead he said, "Anything to bring Pigtails back."
So together they chanted something as they circled around each other, something ethereal. Adrien couldn't understand the words, but it made him feel awed. Soon a bright, white light enveloped them, and Adrien had to close his eyes.
When he opened them again, there was another kwami there. She had pale blue eyes, bright, white feathers, and looked like some sort of mythical creature. He wondered if the Caladrius had been based off of that kwami. The kwami hovered over Marinette, mumbling something under her breath, and when she was done, she disappeared.
Adrien held his breath. Had it worked? Was Marinette going to wake up? He checked for a wound on her side. It was gone. The blood that had seeped out of her body was gone as well.
Then he heard her voice, "Adrien..?"
She was sitting up slightly, blinking as though she'd woken up from a deep sleep. In a way, she had. Adrien gathered her in his arms, squeezing tightly. She seemed a bit startled, but hugged him back anyway.
Adrien knew he was trembling, and his vision was blurry. What concerned him though, was the fact that Marinette was trembling as well. He sat back, his arms still around her, and looked deep into her blue eyes. He'd been so terrified only minutes ago that he'd never see those eyes ever again.
"Adrien, what happened?" she asked, sounding a little panicked. She looked around frantically, "The akuma! What about--"
"I got it all covered, don't worry." His voice trembled more than he'd wanted. He took a breath to steady himself, "I'm just so glad you're ok."
She gave him a shaky smile before grabbing him by the collar and kissing him deeply. Never before had they kissed like that, and sure, they'd only been together for a little bit, but they'd shared plenty of kisses. Those, however, had been soft, playful, and happy. This, though, this was desperate, this was them clinging to one another, this was a reassurance that they were really there together, and alive. It was passionate, it was messy, and he found himself drowning in her scent, her warmth, her taste, and her chapped lips.
Her hands traveled into his hair, and he held her cheeks, his thumbs wiping away her tears. They pulled away only for a second to get some air before kissing again, holding on to each other like they would never let go. When they finally did pull away, their foreheads pressed against each other, they each let out shaky laughs. Relieved laughs. Because they were there, it was real, and they were truly alive.
"I thought I lost you forever," he whispered to her, his voice hoarse. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
She sniffled, placing a chaste kiss to his lips, "As long as you promise to be more careful."
"I promise."